Am I Underpaid? How to Find Out Using Government Data

“Underpaid” isn’t a feeling — it’s a data question. Here’s how to answer it with authority using official BLS wage statistics.

Feeling underpaid is one of the most common workplace frustrations — but vague dissatisfaction rarely leads to better pay. What moves the needle is a specific, data-backed answer: relative to workers in the same occupation and state, where exactly does your salary fall? That’s what salary percentiles tell you, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the most reliable source for computing them.

Three Warning Signs You’re Underpaid

Below the 25th percentile:You earn less than 75% of workers in your occupation and state. This is a strong signal that your pay is below market — not just below average, but in the bottom quarter of the distribution. Unless you’re early career in a high-growth role, this warrants a conversation.

Below the 10th percentile: Fewer than 1 in 10 workers in your field earn less than you. This is a clear underpayment signal. Employers rarely justify 10th-percentile wages with performance — it usually reflects a low-paying employer, a depressed local market, or an out-of-date compensation structure.

Below your state median:Being below the 50th percentile in your specific field and state means half your professional peers out-earn you. It’s a weaker signal than the 25th percentile, but important context when evaluating a raise request or a new offer.

How to Use the Calculator Below

Enter your annual base salary (before taxes, not including bonuses or equity), select your job category, and choose your state. The calculator will show your national and state percentile rank using BLS OES May 2024 data — the same dataset the federal government uses for labor market analysis. If your result is below the 25th percentile, you have a data-backed starting point for a salary negotiation.

What to Do If You Are Underpaid

Start by documenting your percentile and the BLS benchmark table (visible after you calculate). Then schedule a dedicated conversation with your manager — not during a busy sprint or review period — and frame it around market data rather than personal need. “I’ve researched BLS data and my salary is at the {Nth} percentile for [role] in [state]. I’d like to discuss moving toward the [X]th percentile.” That framing is harder to dismiss than “I think I deserve a raise.”

If your employer can’t close the gap, the BLS data also anchors your evaluation of competing offers. Knowing your current percentile makes it easy to judge whether an offer represents real upward movement or just lateral money in a different package. Track your percentile over time — it compounds. A 5-percentile improvement per year adds up significantly over a career.

Enter Your Details

Annual Salary

Job Category

State

Frequently Asked Questions

A salary percentile tells you what percentage of workers in a given occupation earn less than you. For example, if you're at the 70th percentile, you earn more than 70% of workers in that field. It's a more useful benchmark than a simple average because it shows where you stand across the full distribution of wages.

We use linear interpolation between the BLS wage anchor points (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles) to estimate your exact percentile rank. State figures are derived by applying BLS regional wage indices to the national data. For salaries below the 10th or above the 90th percentile, we flag this clearly rather than extrapolating an unreliable estimate.

All data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) program, May 2024 release. This is the most comprehensive, official source of US occupational wage data, covering over 800 occupations and nearly every industry. We cover 116 occupation groups across all 50 states and Washington D.C.

If you're below the median (50th percentile) for your occupation in your state, you have a data-backed argument for a raise. Come prepared with your percentile result and the BLS benchmark figures from the table below the gauge. Framing your ask around official government data — rather than salary sites — is often more persuasive to employers and hiring managers.

According to BLS OES May 2024 data, the median annual wage across all occupations in the United States is approximately $49,500. However, this varies enormously by occupation — from around $30,000 for food preparation workers to over $236,000 for physicians and surgeons. That's why comparing within your specific occupation is far more meaningful than a national cross-occupation average.